Worldwide more than 1 billion tons of food each year is never consumed, while one in nine people remain undernourished. Food loss and waste amounts to economic losses of $940 billion per year and is responsible for an estimated 8 percent of annual greenhouse gas emissions; if it were a country, food loss and waste would be the third largest emitter after China and the United States.

“I am really pleased that Michael and Selina are joining the Champions 12.3. A key focus of our work as Champions this year is to help drive action in reducing food waste across the whole food chain – in particular, upstream in the catering industry and in peoples’ homes. The expertise that Michael and Selina bring to the group will greatly strengthen the work we’re doing in these areas and support our efforts to meet the UN’s Target 12.3,” said Dave Lewis, Group Chief Executive of Tesco and Chair of Champions 12.3.

Michael La Cour is Managing Director of IKEA Food Services AB, where he spearheads the “Food Is Precious” initiative to halve food waste from IKEA’s food operations by August 2020. By May of this year, over 20 percent of all IKEA stores had begun implementing the food waste reduction system. The initiative so far has resulted in 79,200 kg less food waste — amounting to 341,000 kg CO2 saved, the equivalent of 473 flights between Stockholm and London.

“Each year, almost a billion people visit IKEA stores. We have an incredible opportunity to help consumers lead more sustainable lives. Starting in our own operations, the next step will be to inspire customers around reducing food loss and waste in their homes and when they visit our stores,” said La Cour. “I feel passionately that to do better, we must work together. That’s why I’m committed to helping the world meet Target 12.3 of the SDGs and I’m excited about the collective leadership of Champions 12.3.”

La Cour is joined by Selina Juul as the newest members of Champions 12.3. Juul founded Stop Wasting Food (Stop Spild Af Mad) – Denmark’s largest nonprofit working to fight food waste – in 2008. With more than 60,000 supporters, including members of Parliament as well as Denmark’s former Prime Minister, Stop Wasting Food initiated the fight against food waste in Denmark from farm to fork, resulting in a major rise of consumer awareness –83 percent of Danes have become more willing to fight food waste according to the most recent figures from the Danish Agriculture & Food Council.

Juul is a co-developer of the European Joint Declaration Against Food Waste and a member of the Danish government’s Partnership Against Food Waste as well as the EU Platform on Food Losses and Food Waste. She is the author of an award-winning leftovers cookbook “Stop Wasting Food – a Cookbook With More” with participation from Danish celebrity chefs and food personalities. She is also a contributor to The Huffington Post and over 23 books and publications on food waste, and was named Dane of the Year in 2014.

“We are in a great hurry – we are running out of time, resources and nature while we keep producing food that feeds our garbage bins. In a world where every ninth child, woman and man are starving, it is our utmost obligation to stop food loss and waste,” said Juul. “I’m humbled and honored to be a part of the leadership ranks through Champions 12.3. We have great work ahead of us.”

Champions 12.3 is a coalition of nearly 40 leaders across government, business and civil society dedicated to inspiring ambition, mobilizing action, and accelerating progress toward achieving Target 12.3 of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Target 12.3 calls on the world to “halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses” by 2030.

The Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the World Resources Institute serve as co-secretariats of Champions 12.3. www.Champions123.org